Tag Archives: Catherine O’Hara

It was almost a year ago that Schitt’s Creek jumped from a show slowly growing in popularity to an overnight smash. It was last winter, during Season 4, when Patrick—played by Noah Reid—sang “Simply the Best” to David Rose (Daniel Levy), publicly professing his love during an open mic night, bringing worldwide attention to the comedy and donations to LGBT Youth Line in Canada and The Trevor Project in the U.S. via iTunes and Spotify downloads.

Since then, Schitt’s Creek—which airs on Pop in the U.S.—was nominated for Best Comedy at the Critic’s Choice Awards. The cast will be attending the January 13 event. A special Christmas episode brought further attention to the program, ensuring it remains a holiday staple. Next, a theatre tour through February, culminating with a stop in Toronto.

But while awards shows and tours beckon, Annie Murphy says the focus of the series remains the same.

“Each season peels back a layer on the family and the people of Schitt’s Creek,” she says over the phone. “This season is no different. There is a lot of love, a lot of heart and lot of the goofy, wonderful laughs that we’re used to. And a lot of ‘Ew, Davids.’”

When viewers tune in on Tuesday at 9 p.m. on CBC, they’ll see a family that has truly become a part of the community. David and Patrick’s store, Rose Apothecary, is still in business, Alexis (Murphy) and Ted (Dustin Milligan) are still together and the Rosebud Motel is still standing thanks to Stevie (Emily Hampshire), Roland (Chris Elliott) and Johnny (Eugene Levy). Only Moira (Catherine O’Hara) is absent but that’s because she’s in Bosnia filming a movie. David, worried things are getting stale between he and Patrick, agrees to accompany Alexis and Ted on a double date that involves nature and heights, two things surely on David’s Must Avoid list.

“[We filmed] in a ropes course that I never knew existed,” Murphy says with a laugh. “I was feeling very confident going into it because I’m not afraid of heights. But once they strapped us in and we were up there on the platform with no barrier around it, we all had a bit of a moment up there. It was way higher than it looked, I can assure you of that.”

Murphy hints that changes are in store for Alexis in Season 5. Aware of what she’s put Ted through over the past few seasons—including cancelled wedding engagements—the fashionista realizes she has to devote more to their relationship than before. She puts herself into a scenario we haven’t seen her in.

And though the actions by Milligan, Murphy, Reid, O’Hara and Daniel Levy are all great in Tuesday’s return, it is Eugene Levy’s scenes that grabbed my attention. Levy has made a career out of being the straight man and leaving it up to his co-stars to grab the spotlight. He turns in the most sensitive performances I’ve seen from him, making for a commanding presence. They actually carry over from “Merry Christmas, Johnny Rose,” an emotional storyline in which Johnny tried to bring his family together for the holidays. It brought a tear to my eye. Turns out I wasn’t alone.

“Eugene really, really grounds all of the characters that surround him,” Murphy says. “In the Christmas episode especially, watching him play such a sad guy. When he’s releasing the tree and when he goes off to the café by himself, I had a hard time holding it together when we were shooting. I looked over and saw Dustin wiping away a tear. He’s such a wonderful human being and that really comes across in his acting.”

CTV announced today it is joining Netflix to become the exclusive Canadian broadcast partner of the upcoming, yet untitled, SCTV comedy special, which explores the enduring legacy of the iconic, EMMY® award-winning Canadian series SECOND CITY TELEVISION (SCTV). As previously announced, Academy Award®-winner Martin Scorsese directs and pays homage to the iconic Canadian sketch series that reunites past SCTV members Joe Flaherty, Eugene Levy, Catherine O’Hara, Andrea Martin, Martin Short, Dave Thomas and, confirmed today, Rick Moranis.

The reunion special is set to make its debut in 2019. Under the partnership, Netflix will premiere the title globally in all territories, with the exception of Canada, where it will premiere exclusively on CTV. Following CTV’s airing, the SCTV comedy special will be available exclusively on Netflix in Canada and worldwide.

This Sunday, May 13, the original SCTV cast members will gather in front of a live audience at Toronto’s iconic Elgin Theatre. Dubbed “An Afternoon With SCTV”, the taping features Jimmy Kimmel moderating a panel conversation, as the comedic actors recount their various experiences about the making of the influential and legendary series.

Dubbed by Entertainment Weekly as one of the “100 Greatest TV Shows of All Time,” SCTV aired for six seasons between 1976 to 1984, becoming a pop culture touchstone. With 13 EMMY AWARD® nominations, SCTV was one of the first television series to consistently skewer television itself and chronicled the characters – both in front of and behind the camera – of a critically underfunded television station in Melonville.

The SCTV reunion special is produced by longtime SCTV Producer Andrew Alexander of Second City Entertainment, Emma Tillinger Koskoff of Sikelia Productions and in partnership with John Brunton and Lindsay Cox of Insight Productions (THE AMAZING RACE CANADA, THE LAUNCH), and is directed by Martin Scorsese for Netflix and CTV.

Netflix today announced that Academy Award-winning director, producer and screenwriter Martin Scorsese will direct an untitled Netflix original comedy special exploring the enduring legacy of Emmy-winning sketch comedy show SCTV.

Scorsese will reunite comedy legends and former SCTV co-stars Joe Flaherty, Eugene Levy, Andrea Martin, Catherine O’Hara, Martin Short and Dave Thomas in front of a live audience for An Afternoon with SCTV, moderated by Jimmy Kimmel. To be held at Toronto’s historic Elgin Theatre on Sunday, May 13 at 3 p.m., the filming will be part of the Netflix special, produced by longtime SCTV Producer Andrew Alexander of Second City, Emma Tillinger Koskoff of Sikelia Productions and Lindsay Cox of Insight Productions.

Canadian classic SCTV aired for six seasons between 1976 and 1984, quickly becoming one of pop culture’s touchstone comedies. The series’ stars include some of the most beloved and celebrated names in laughter, including the late John Candy and Harold Ramis.

CBC has renewed the critically acclaimed hit comedy series SCHITT’S CREEK, created by and starring Eugene Levy and Daniel Levy, for a fifth season (14 x 30). Returning winter 2019, season 5 sees an increased order from 13 to 14 episodes.

Airing Tuesdays at 9 p.m. (9:30 NT) on CBC, the SCHITT’S CREEK season 4 finale airs April 10 in Canada.

Currently in its fourth season, SCHITT’S CREEK is one of the top 10 Canadian entertainment programs, drawing a total reach of more than 1.4 million weekly and an average audience of 742,000 (2+ AMA) on CBC so far this season, with 41% of viewers in the 25-54 demographic.*

Since its debut in 2015, the series has been recognized with more than 50 award nominations and 18 wins to date, including Canadian Screen Award wins for Best Comedy Series (2016), Best Writing in a Comedy for Daniel Levy (2016), Best Comedy Performance for both Eugene Levy (2016) and Catherine O’Hara (2016, 2017) and Best Supporting Actress, Comedy for Emily Hampshire (2016, 2017).

SCHITT’S CREEK is a half-hour, single-camera comedy starring Eugene Levy, Catherine O’Hara, Daniel Levy, Annie Murphy, Chris Elliott, Emily Hampshire and Jennifer Robertson. The series follows a wealthy family who suddenly find themselves broke and forced to live in Schitt’s Creek, a small town they once bought as a joke.

Commissioned by CBC, SCHITT’S CREEK is produced by Not A Real Company Productions Inc. and created by Eugene Levy and Daniel Levy. The executive producers are Eugene Levy, Daniel Levy, Andrew Barnsley, Fred Levy, David West Read and Ben Feigin. SCHITT’S CREEK is produced in association with CBC and PopTV and distributed internationally by ITV Studios Global Entertainment.

It really doesn’t feel like a new year has arrived until CBC’s Tuesday night comedy block of Schitt’s Creek and Workin’ Moms has begun. So, here we are, with Season 4 of the Rose’s madcap adventures in that little town they’ve reluctantly called home.

When we last left them, Moira (Catherine O’Hara) had established herself not only on town council but as a member of the Jazzgals, David (Daniel Levy) had opened a business and begun a relationship with Patrick (Noah Reid), Alexis (Annie Murphy) graduated from high school and Johnny (Eugene Levy) had teamed with Stevie (Emily Hampshire) to run the motel. The Rose’s, who once so badly wanted out of Schitt’s Creek, have finally settled into life there. That’s good because it means a constant expansion of the world for themselves and viewers … and laughs.

When Episode 1—written by Daniel and directed by The Kids in the Hall‘s Bruce McCulloch—kicks off Tuesday at 9 p.m., it’s the day after the Season 3 finale. The motel parking lot is packed for the first time, a nod to the success Johnny and Stevie have made it. It’s a personal triumph for Johnny, who has (hilariously) struggled to find something he’s good at. Yes, I’m happy to see the motel packed, but I do miss the days he spent at a dirty desk in Bob’s garage. Of course, this being Schitt’s Creek, it can’t all be sunshine and rainbows. So when Stevie reveals there’s a dead guy in Room 4—also the name of the episode—things quickly head south, especially when Roland (Chris Elliott) swings by. I love it when Elliott and Eugene Levy are in a scene together; their facial expressions and eye-rolling give me the giggles every time.

Alexis, meanwhile, is indignant that David has gotten romanticly involved with Patrick so quickly, seeing as he was against she and Ted rushing into things.

“Patrick is a sweet little button-face,” Alexis advises her brother. “So don’t mess this up.” And David doesn’t plan to, except he’s worried Patrick might have regrets. As for Patrick … well, he’s not ready to rush into anything. For me, the strength of Schitt’s Creek isn’t just about the funny moments and the miscommunication, but the heart. Patrick and David may be going through a super-awkward time but you’re emotionally invested in them as a couple. The same can be said for Ted and Alexis. My heart aches every time those two are in the same room because of things left unsaid when they broke up.

It promises to be another great season of Schitt’s Creek, especially with one humdinger of a story twist revealed in next week’s second instalment. Hang onto your hats fans, because the Schitt’s going to hit the fan.